Skip to content

Since 2003Our team has helped over 20,000 UK businessesCollection from Unit 3, 116 Bury New Road, Manchester M8 8EB

Call 0161 315 1151WhatsApp 07737 902425hello@webprintsigns.co.uk

Web Print & Signs 0161 315 1151 Basket0 Get a free quote
APP 400 · Mobile apps

Ecommerce App Development Manchester

We build shopping apps for Manchester retailers that already sell online through WooCommerce or Shopify. The app sits on top of your existing store, so products, stock and orders stay in one place while your most loyal customers get a faster way to buy again.

  • Since 2003trading in Manchester
  • 20,000+UK businesses helped
  • Collect M8Unit 3, 116 Bury New Road
  • A personchecks every file
Get a free quote Call 0161 315 1151 WhatsApp us
APP 400

Food, retail and events

Every job is a fixed quote, agreed in writing before any work starts. No obligation.

All 45 app servicesOr tell us what you need and we will quote it.Discuss an app

A shopping app that runs on the store you already have

Both WooCommerce and Shopify expose APIs for products, customers, baskets and orders, and we connect the app to those. Change a price or mark a line out of stock in your usual admin and the app reflects it, with no duplicate catalogue to update.

Customers stay signed in, baskets are saved across devices, and wishlists keep products they are watching. Opt-in push notifications tell them when an item is back in stock or when their parcel has been dispatched. Links in your marketing emails open the exact product inside the app, not just the home screen.

Because you sell physical goods, payments go through your normal provider, with Apple Pay and Google Pay at checkout. Apple and Google in-app purchase rules apply to digital content, not to clothing or homeware shipped to a door.

Is an app right for your shop?

An app suits retailers whose customers come back often. For one-off buyers, a fast mobile website is usually the better spend.

  • Fashion and footwear brands with regular drops that regulars watch for.
  • Beauty and grooming shops where customers reorder the same products.
  • Speciality food and drink retailers with subscription or repeat orders.
  • Trade suppliers whose account customers place frequent orders on site.
  • Gift and homeware shops with seasonal launches.

Turning your web store into an app

1

Review your store

We check your WooCommerce or Shopify setup, plugins or apps, product data quality and API access.

2

Pick the app features

Together we choose the features that serve repeat buyers and leave out the rest.

3

Design the shop screens

Product listings, filters, product pages and checkout are designed for thumbs, in your brand.

4

Connect and test orders

Orders placed in the app are checked end to end through payment, stock and fulfilment.

5

Release and measure

We publish to both stores and set up analytics on app sales against web sales.

What your retail app includes

  • iPhone and Android apps connected to your WooCommerce or Shopify store.
  • Live catalogue, prices and stock pulled through the store API.
  • Customer accounts, saved baskets and wishlists.
  • Apple Pay, Google Pay and card checkout via your payment provider.
  • Opt-in notifications for back-in-stock, dispatch and delivery updates.
  • Deep links so email and social campaigns open the right product.

WooCommerce or Shopify: what changes for the app

Both platforms work well as an app backend, but the details differ.

Shopify offers a dedicated Storefront API built for custom shopping front ends, and checkout runs through Shopify’s own checkout. That keeps payments, tax and discount logic in one place you already manage.

WooCommerce exposes its REST API, and much depends on the plugins your store runs. Product add-ons, bundles or custom pricing plugins may need extra API work so the app shows the same options as the website. We list those plugins at the start, so there are no surprises late in the build. If your store itself needs work first, our WooCommerce setup and Shopify store setup services cover it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to manage products twice?

No. The app reads products, prices and stock directly through your store’s API. You keep editing everything in WooCommerce or Shopify as you do now, and the app picks up the changes without a separate catalogue.

Will Apple or Google take a cut of my sales?

Not for physical goods. Their in-app purchase rules cover digital content and subscriptions. Physical products pay through your normal payment provider, which charges its usual processing fees, just like your website checkout.

Can customers use the same login as the website?

Yes. The app uses the customer accounts in your store, so order history and saved addresses carry across. Customers sign in once on their phone and stay signed in until they choose to log out.

How do push notifications work with marketing consent?

Customers choose to allow notifications on their phone, and we keep order updates separate to promotional messages, which need their agreement. We set this up in line with published PECR guidance, and you should take legal advice for your own situation.

Should I build an app or just speed up my mobile site?

If most of your sales come in as first-time orders through search or ads, a quicker mobile site will do more. An app makes sense once you have a base of regular customers who buy several times a year and would happily keep your app on their phone.

Related services

Ready to give repeat customers a quicker way to buy? Start your ecommerce app quote, call our team on 0161 315 1151 or WhatsApp 07737 902425.

Ready to get started?

Tell us what you need and we'll come back with an honest, fixed-price quote — no obligation.

Get a Free Quote →